In JP-2016-107735, a hybrid vehicle that rotates drive wheels using an engine and a traveling motor has been disclosed. An electric vehicle drive unit in this hybrid vehicle includes a first traveling motor and a second traveling motor, a first brake that restrains the rotation of the first traveling motor, a second brake that restrains the rotation of the second traveling motor, and a planetary gear mechanism provided with a ring gear, a sun gear, and a carrier. The electric vehicle drive unit has a driving mode in which each of the rotary axes in the planetary gear mechanism, the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor is coaxially arranged, the ring gear is coupled to the first rotor which is the rotor of the first traveling motor, the sun gear is coupled to the second rotor which is the rotor of the second traveling motor, and the carrier is coupled to the drive wheels sides, and then, the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor are powered, and thus, the vehicle travels using the driving forces of both the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor.
However, in the electric vehicle drive unit in JP-2016-107735 described above, in the driving mode in which the driving force of both the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor is added to the planetary gear mechanism for the traveling, it is necessary to balance the powering of the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor by supplying the electric power to the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor while turning OFF the first brake and the second brake. In order to secure the balance between the powering of the first traveling motor and the powering of the second traveling motor, the output necessary for powering both the first traveling motor and the second traveling motor are required.
Thus, a need exists for an electric vehicle drive unit which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.